What life Means to Me

This article is written by a Seventeen year boy, I thought it was worth sharing :)

On the Prize Giving Ceremony weekend I went for a night out expecting to meet my Grandmother at the English Book Depot, sitting behind the desk, with her radiance and that beautiful smile. Instead, my parents took me to a hospital nearby, where my Dadi had been admitted and diagnosed with a severe stomach infection. I was stunned, to say the least.

So there I sat, in the clinic where, ironically, I was born, next to my ill grandmother, who, even more ironically, had given me the name “Madhav” in that place more than 17 years ago. One second she was up and about, and the next she was in the hospital, on a drip. The ephemeral nature of life and time really stunned me. There are some people in everyone’s life that they can’t do without. They’re like the sun and the stars: things which you couldn’t do without but took for granted because of their constant presence. During my time in the ward, a few things crossed my mind.

Everything you achieve, at this stage all the appointments and awards you’ve received, and later in life all the bonuses and promotions, they won’t matter if you have no one to celebrate it with.

Your friends and family, they form the most important part of your life. They’re the context: they’re the background music which gives the song that is your life that added dimension.

Be virtuous. My grandmother is 73 years old. She works 10 hour a day shifts, seven days a week. Fortunately, she was discharged a few days after this incident, but even before I could thank god for her speedy recovery, she was already heading back to the shop, eager to work. Make work your virtue. Last year’s captain Yuv had put it very eloquently, he talked about how everyone should find that one thing that they enjoy doing, and do it to the fullest.

Each and every person should have that one thing that sets them apart: that defines them. Find something enjoyable and productive, something that makes you feel elated and at peace. Find that definition, because once you do, no one can stop you from achieving your dreams.

There is never enough time. Ask any of my form-mates, and they’ll tell you about how their time in School just flew by. It is going to be the same in college, and then your first job, and after that your last one! School is the place where you can try your hand at anything you’ve wanted to, and everything you wouldn’t be able to do elsewhere. Don’t procrastinate, because every time you say “I’ll do that later” or “Maybe next week”, there will be less time on your hands to do it.

Have fun. It shouldn’t always be about work. Everyone deserves some time off. By no means am I saying that life should be one big party, all I’m saying is that relaxation is a necessity: it calms your mind and helps you gather your thoughts. In a busy school life such as ours, the occasional Sunday private or the random quadrangle cricket match can work wonders!

Make mistakes. Picasso once said that “Every child is an artist”. Artists are creative personalities. Kids, they’re never afraid to go wrong. They haven’t been molded by society, what is a mistake to us, might seem perfectly right to them. Juniors should explore and experiment, and seniors should inculcate and implement. That’s how school should work

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Lastly, always be grateful. Call your parents and relatives; thank them for everything they’ve done for you. Talk to your best friend, make him feel wanted, and he will definitely do the same for you. Talk to your worst enemy, and make amends. Care for every single person you know, pray that they’ll live a long and healthy life, and hope that they’ll stay with you forever...